2 Dec 2008

The recent publication of the Swiss National Cohort Study (Huss et al., American Journal of Epidemiology Nov 5 2008) into the relationship between Alzheimer’s disease and residential proximity to high-voltage overhead transmission lines (HVOTLs) was reported in the Express newspaper (Nov 11 2008, Pylons double risk of dying from dementia), at the end of which a spokesperson from the Department of Health said it "was reviewing its position in the light of the study"... we have requested a cop of their review and await their response with interest. This major Swiss study analysed 4.7 million people over a 5 year period and shows a clear and quantifiable association between HVOTLs and the disease. The association becomes stronger with closeness to power lines and duration of exposure. Living within 50 metres of a high-voltage power line for 15 years or more reveals a doubling of risk of Alzheimer's disease.

 Swiss National Cohort Study (Huss et al., American Journal of Epidemiology Nov 5 2008)

This Swiss study is not isolated, but consistent with the combined analyses of risk of Alzheimer’s with occupational exposure to power-frequency magnetic fields (Garcia et al, 2008). Moreover, Alzheimer's sufferers display significantly reduced melatonin levels, so this study adds credibility to the plausible biological mechanism based on reduced melatonin levels.

The evidence for risk of Alzheimer's from HVOTLs is now quantitatively comparable with that for Childhood Leukaemia, for which magnetic fields have been internationally recognised as an IARC class 2B carcinogen, with the UK’s own Draper Report (2005) quantifying the risk with distance from HVOTLs. The Health Protection Agency claim that even if they were to accept a causal link between powerlines and childhood leukaemia they would not recommend precautions on account of the relatively small number of children involved. Last week Terry Pratchett's petition to Gordon Brown put the case for the 700,000 Alzheimer's sufferers in the UK, with an annual cost of £17bn to the UK economy. The numbers involved are therefore significantly higher than with childhood leukaemia, so the cost benefit analysis must now surely swing in favour of precautionary measures for the most vulnerable, young and old alike, in our society.

2 Dec 2008

Switzerland introduced precautions to protect their public from the adverse health effects of HVOTLs back in 1999. The latest country to introduce precautionary measures is Germany. Their recommendation that no new HVOTLs should come within 200m of individual properties or 400m of residential areas is in accordance with the latest epidemiological studies. The new German legislation has been developed specifically in response to their development of Renewable Energy which requires major new grid infrastructure. They are proposing to underground a significant proportion of these new lines. Austria is now considering following suit. We have requested details and a transcript of the German legislation from the appropriate ministry - but prior to its arrival have written up some notes.

12 Mar 2008

Petitions Committee to strongly recommend Scottish Government adopt a precautionary approach and investigate subject further.
PE812 on the adverse health effects associated with living in close proximity to high voltage overhead transmission lines (HVOTL) was reviewed on February 19th by the Petitions Committee of the Scottish Parliament. The petition, submitted by Caroline Paterson on behalf of Stirling Before Pylons, calls for a recognition of associated adverse health effects and the implementation of planning regulations to protect the public. It has been under review by the Committee for over 3 years. Yesterday's meeting positively endorsed PE812 as an issue of great concern, both to politicians and the public, requiring continued investigation by the Scottish Government with the strong recommendation that a precautionary approach be adopted. The petition was supported by Dr Richard Simpson MSP (Lab), who drew a close analogy with the risks associated with passive smoking (together with Kenny Gibson MSP he introduced the private members bill on passive smoking in 2001). Dr Simpson talked of the overwhelming evidence for an association with childhood leukaemia and living in close proximity to HVOTLs, but referred also to the latest research into associated adult conditions, including Alzheimers. He stressed that precautionary measures should be taken now based on the latest scientific studies, and that to wait until absolute proof, would be too late. Moreover, the costs then of rerouting HVOTL would be prohibitive, so there was every reason, including costs, to act now in a precautionary manner. This point was supported by several Committee members, reinforcing the cross-party support there has always been for PE812.

Keith Brown MSP (SNP) also supported PE812 referring to the Westminster Cross-Party Inquiry Report (July 2007) which called for a building moratorium of 60m, extending to 200m for extra high voltage lines, such as the Beauly to Denny 400kV. His recent parliamentary motion S3-800 gained the support of approx. a third of MSPs. He also referred to the massive public concern on this issue, with the Beauly to Denny proposal generating 14000 objections specificlly raising health concerns. Mr Brown talked of precautionary guidelines already adopted in other countries, and his wish that the Scottish Government address these together with the latest scientific evidence.

The Convener of the Petitions Committee, Frank McAveety agreed that there was a consensus that the Committee write to the Scottish Government strongly advising them to adopt a precautionary approach, and to look for a legislative window on how this might best be achieved. The Convener also called for the most up-to-date research to be studied by the government, with a review of precautions already adopted in other countries, including the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, some Italian and German regions, some US states, Australia etc.

Petitioner, Caroline Paterson of Stirling Before Pylons : "I am greatly encouraged by the unanimous, cross-party approval of the Petitions Committee to proactively investigate this important subject, with a commitment to a precautionary approach. The Petitions Committee review many important issues, and PE812 has been in the system for over 3 years, but I do now feel that the Scottish Government will be seriously addressing this subject of immense public concern".

4 Feb 2008

Ochil MSP, Keith Brown has a motion currently lodged with the Scottish Parliament (S3M-800) on the Cross Party Report on Leukaemia which, together with ammendment S3M-800.1 from Dr Richard Simpson, has substantial support with over one third of MSPs signed up.

1 Feb 2008

Prof Denis Henshaw, one of our expert witnesses at the strategic public inquiry in Perth, recently took part in an Irish television feature covering a local anti-pylon campaign.

31 Jan 2008

Thanks to all who attended the public meeting in Blairlogie on 17 December 2007 . The BBC was there to film the meeting and cover the campaign for a feature which aired across the UK on the One Show. The feature lasted about 15 minutes and hopefully helped to raise awareness of the very serious health issues. You can see the feature online via the One Show website.

25 Jan 2008

The Stirling Before Pylons Petition on Powerlines and Adverse Health Effects (PE812) is up for review at the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday 19 February 2008. Keith Brown MSP and Dr Richard Simpson MSP hope to attend to support this issue being addressed by the Committee and the Government.

12 Dec 2007

There is a public meeting to discuss the Health Issue on Monday December 17th, 12.30 onwards in the Reading Room (village hall), just off the square in Blairlogie. Ochil MSP Keith Brown will be introducing his parliamentary motion, S3M - 800, regarding the Westminster Cross-Party Inquiry Report into childhood leukaemia and power lines. There will also be an update on the progress of the health case at the Public Inquiry, and a briefing on the latest developments in Westminster. Everyone is welcome to attend. The BBC will be filming the meeting for a current affairs programme and we hope this will help to publicise the health issue more widely.

 Parliamentary Motion S3M - 800

10 Dec 2007

On Thursday Dec 6th Dr Sylvia Jackson gave evidence on behalf of the hundreds of constituents who objected to the Beauly to Denny proposals during her time in office. Dr Jackson’s attempted to refer to critical new reports highlighting the dangers of living close to high voltage power lines and was stopped by the reporters, chairing the Inquiry meeting. After the Inquiry session last Thursday Sylvia Jackson said: “ These new reports are vitally important and the implications of their recommendations must be discussed in the context of this local inquiry. The Beauly to Denny powerlines proposals does not comply with them”.

 Press Release: Sylvia Jackson Gives Evidence

3 Dec 2007

On Friday 30th November, Shadow Health Minister Dr Richard Simpson MSP gave evidence to the Beauly to Denny Public Inquiry in Stirling on behalf of StirlingBeforePylons.org. He drew on his medical expertise to reject the routing of the proposed Beauly to Denny 400kV line in close proximity to houses, educational establishments and care facilities. He stated that the publication of the Draper Report (BMJ June 2005) had changed his view on the dangers of living in close proximity to power lines. He now has serious concerns about their definite/probable health effects. He drew an analogy with his work on the dangers of passive smoking – an issue initially hidden by the tobacco industry. SHETL & SP still deny the health risks associated with living in close proximity to high voltage overhead transmission lines (HVOTLs), despite international acknowledgement of the doubled risk of childhood leukaemia associated with those living within c.100m.

Dr Simpson expressed particular concern at the close proximity of the proposed line to hundreds of homes in the Eastern Villages (Plean, Fallin, Cowie) of Stirling. These communities, with 7,000 residents, have suffered from unemployment and associated health inequalities since the closure of the mines. Dr Simpson stated that the routing of this line to the east of Stirling went against his principle of social justice, having spent years trying to improve the health and welfare of these disadvantaged communities.

An estimated 2000 plus people in the Stirling area alone will be within 600m of the line – a distance at which a significant increased risk of childhood leukaemia was reported in the Draper study. There are approximately 40 properties within the critical 200m band at which there is a 70% increased risk of childhood leukaemia.

 Precognition: Richard Simpson

 Press Release: Richard Simpson on Health Implications 3 Dec 07

26 Nov 2007

Last week's Landscape and Visual session concentrated on the threat to the southern scarp slope of the Ochils, Yellowcraig Wood, and the Dumyat / Cocksburn Reservoir area of the Sheriffmuir road - plus the impact on the Eastern Villages area, the loss of views from further along the Sheriffmuir road, the danger to the University campus’ designation as a Historic Garden Designed Landscape and the detriment to the Area of Great Landscape Value designation for the Ochils.

When asked how she had reacted to the applicants’ Landscape assessment (given her own thorough examination of the issues), Scottish Natural Heritage's Landscape witness, Carol Anderson, responded: “I was astounded.”

Friday’s Archaeology session focused on the impact on the Sheriffmuir battlefield. Alan Leslie’s assessment (for the applicants) is that the overhead line would not cause undue damage. However he admitted his assessment was entirely from the point of view of an archaeologist and he readily acknowledged that, from an historical point of view, the battlefield's importance is immense. We believe that not only is the battlefield of great importance but so too are the landscape settings of the Wallace Monument and Stirling Castle. Alan Leslie also confirmed he had relied on advice from Dr Tony Pollard in his assessment of the battlefield. Tony Pollard put out a major press release, on the day of Alan Leslie’s evidence, drawing attention to the importance of Scotland’s key battlefields – including Sheriffmuir – and urging greater protection for them from developments such as the power line. This got full-page coverage in Saturday’s Herald, and a half page in The Times.

The battle for the Archaeology and Cultural Heritage issues will recommence on Tuesday, 27th November.

22 Nov 2007

It is with immense sadness that we announce that Archie Bone, who was to have given evidence at the Public Inquiry on behalf of Stirling Before Pylons as a spokesperson for the village of Fallin, died suddenly yesterday. His health had been rather poor for some time. Archie will be a huge loss to his community and to all who knew him - he was, in more ways than one, a larger-than-life character, and a fount of local knowledge. We will ensure that Stirling Before Pylons is represented at his funeral, and will seek to ensure that proper recognition is given to him at the Public Inquiry.

22 Nov 2007

The Applicants are clearly reluctant to address the health concerns surrounding this proposal and attempted to have many of our supporting documents disallowed on the grounds that they are not relevant. These documents reaffirm the Stirling public's fears that the Beauly to Denny proposal will have a seriously detrimental impact on their health and we are delighted to report that all of our supporting documents on the issue have now been allowed.

21 Nov 2007

Stirling Before Pylons fears that Public concern over health and the powerline proposal may not be addressed at the Stirling Public Inquiry. Evidence submitted by Stirling Before Pylons focuses on environmental issues, including the historic and natural landscape (the line would pass through the Sheriffmuir battlefield and destroy the stunning Ochils backdrop to the Wallace Monument) and community amenity issues, with particular reference to the adverse health effects associated with HVOTL. One of the key issues in this campaign is the adverse health effect of living in close proximity to HVOTLs. Since 2004 it has been internationally acknowledged that living close to such lines doubles the risk of childhood leukaemia. The UK Draper report (BMJ June 2005) quantified a 70% increased risk of the disease within 200m of HVOTLs. Concern for public health has been central to opposition in the Stirling area, with this being the most populated section of the route. The route passes to the east of the City, alongside rural settlements and the Eastern Villages. Hundreds of homes in the area would have serious health effects imposed on them, and thousands of individuals would potentially suffer as a result, with a University Hall of Residence potentially standing at only 200m. The Applicants have underestimated the numbers who would be affected. The reporters were initially reluctant to address this subject, but with government policy currently under review, they allowed the science to be briefly examined in Feb at the Strategic Public Inquiry in Perth.

Related Link: Children with Leukaemia: Report will save lives

 Press Release: Health Concerns 16 Nov 07

20 Nov 2007

Three giant posters will be positioned at the Keir roundabout on the M9 (Junction11) to the west of Stirling from Tuesday 20 November 2007, to mark the start of the Stirling Session of the Public Inquiry. Our thanks to Colin Kilgour and Clive Kilgour who kindly gave their time to erect the posters. Full photography and design credits can be found here.

19 Nov 2007

The Stirling Public Inquiry starts on Tuesday 20th November in the Golden Lion Hotel, 8-10 King Street in the centre of Stirling at 10.00am. As this is the first day there is likely to be some Media interest - so please attend if you can from 9.15AM onwards. This is a Public Inquiry, so anybody can attend and Stirling Before Pylons would really appreciate your support. It is important that the Reporters are made aware of the strength of local opposition to this proposal, so please do come along if you can - even if just for an hour or two.

You can download the timetable here:  Stirling Public Inquiry Timetable

Please note that (from our recent experience in Perth) there is no way of guaranteeing that the timetable will be strictly adhered to -so be prepared for some flexibility. For those with concerns about the health issue, please be aware that the Reporters are extremely reluctant to hear evidence on this topic (and none has been submitted by the Applicants (Scottish & Southern Energy and Scottish Power) for the Stirling session. In the timetable the topic of health comes under the heading of "Communities". Although scientific evidence was raised at the Strategic Public Inquiry in Perth, Stirling Before Pylons is committed to raising public concern on this topic at the Stirling session - this being the most populated section of the route with many homes and institutions threatened by their close proximity to the proposal.

The Public Inquiry will take place each week from Tuesday to Friday starting at 10.00am and finishing at either 4.00pm or 5.00pm (see timetable) until December 20th. Read more in the Public Inquiry section.

Precognitions for Stirling Public Inquiry.

2 Oct 2007

Anyone interested in supporting the campaign should attend the full Stirling Council meeting in the Council Chambers, old Viewforth on Thursday 4th October 2007 at 7pm. It is important for Stirling Council to understand the continued strength of local feeling on this issue, thereby increasing the chances of them presenting a reasonable case at the Public Inquiry. We are informed that a special motion regarding the power line will be presented at the start of this meeting.

27 Sep 2007

 Update briefing on Powerline Electric and Magnetic fields (EMFs) and ill health

27 Sep 2007

The Reporters for the Beauly to Denny Public Inquiry have rejected a critical new study submitted as evidence by Stirling Before Pylons. "The BioInitiative Report: A Rationale for a Biologically-based Public Exposure Standard for Electromagnetic Fields" was published on August 31st 2007 by the The BioInitiative Working Group and submitted to the Inquiry Reporters within days. However, they chose to reject the document, claiming it was late and not material to the inquiry. Read the report online here: www.bioinitiative.org. Chapters 1 and 17 particularly relevant. The Report (from highly acclaimed international scientists) dissents from existing ICNIRP and WHO guidelines, and recommends an interim planning limit of 0.1 microtesla for homes near new lines, which in practical terms would equate with a building moratorium of approximately 200metres for HVOTL.

 SBP Press Release: Public Inquiry Reporters Reject Critical New Study

27 Sep 2007

In July 2007, the Westminster Cross-Party "Inquiry into Childhood Leukaemia and Extremely Low Frequency Electric and Magnetic Fields (ELF EMF)" was published and can be veiwed online here: www.epolitix.com/forum/cpielfemf. This publication by a group of Westminster MPs calls on the government to adopt precautionary measures for HVOTL. Its key recommendation is for “a moratorium on the building of new HVOTL within 60m of existing homes and schools”, with the further recommendation that “government consider the case for extending this distance to 200m”. One of the study’s stated aims is to inform devolved governments, including the Scottish Government, of the current state of research in this field. The Beauly to Denny proposals do not comply with these recommendations.

19 Sep 2007

Scotland Before Pylons is an umbrella group representing and supporting local groups along the 120 miles of the proposed new Beauly to Denny overhead transmission line.

 Scotland Before Pylons briefing to MSPs, 19th September 2007

 Scotland Before Pylons Press Release, 18th September 2007

9 Sep 2007

Although the Panorama programme focuses on the WiFi (wireless free technology) issue and not powerline EMFs (electric and magnetic fields), many of the individuals and organisations interviewed work in both fields. The programme highlights the obstacles set by industry to prevent precautionary health measures being adopted, when the evidence for a potential health hazard is high. There is however some hope in that Sir William Stewart, who advocates precautionary measures for children from WiFi technology, is the head of the Health Protection Agency currently reviewing the SAGE Report (Stakeholders Advisory Group on Electric and Magnetic Fields).

You can watch this BBC Panorama documentary on the dangers of radio frequency radiation online here: Wi-Fi: A Warning Signal. A transcript of the show is also available online, via the BBC website.

Read more about Health Concerns.

12 Mar 2007

The Beauly Denny Public Inquiry started on 6 February 2007. You can view or download our Strategy Session briefing notes from the Public Inquiry section.

Beauly Denny Public Inquiry website: www.beaulydenny.co.uk